Impact of humic acid and NAA on seed germination in Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.)

The present investigation was conducted at the Department of Botany and Research Centre, Padmashri Vikhe Patil College of Art, Science & Commerce, Pravaranagar, Tal-Rahata, Dist. Ahmednagar, during the Kharif season of 2023. The experimental design utilized was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), which included nine distinct treatments with four replications each. Seeds of the Mung bean variety Vaibhav were sourced from M.P.K.V., Rahuri. A germination assay was performed employing 100 seeds per treatment, utilizing the roll towel paper method under controlled environmental conditions of 25±2ºC temperature and 95±2% relative humidity within a designated germination chamber. The seeds were subjected to soaking in various concentrations of humic acid (50 ppm, 100 ppm, 150 ppm, 200 ppm) and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) (15 ppm, 25 ppm, 35 ppm, 45 ppm) for a duration of four hours. Assessments were conducted on the eighth day to measure germination percentage, seedling vigor, root and shoot lengths, and the root to shoot ratio. The results demonstrated that seeds immersed in humic acid at a concentration of 150 ppm (T4) exhibited a significantly elevated germination percentage of 90.25% and a seedling vigor index of 2908.93, relative to the untreated control group. Moreover, the application of NAA at 45 ppm (T9) resulted in a significantly enhanced root to shoot ratio of 0.84. Additionally, the treatment involving humic acid at 100 ppm (T3) effectively augmented both root and shoot lengths.